Should I Buy An Nintendo Switch OLED?
Image Credits : Nintendo
The Nintendo Switch OLED was revealed on Tuesday 6th July and is due for release today (8th October) in the UK and US. The newly updated Switch will feature a new screen, better audio, an updated kickstand, more storage and an updated dock. I go through each update and give my opinion on whether it is worth buying the OLED Switch version.
Updates:-
Image Credits : Nintendo
Image Credits : Nintendo
OLED Screen
Image Credits : Nintendo
The screen is the biggest upgrade to the switch, the size has increased 6.2 inches to 7 inches and the type of screen has been changed from an LCD screen to an OLED screen. The screen offers higher brightness and higher contrast however the resolution is still 720p. Essentially the screen will look better, as a general rule for screens is the higher the contrast with the same resolution will mean the picture will look better. The blacks will look more black and shadows will look more realistic. I think it's a good but not great upgrade, they could have easily made it a 1080p screen.
Audio
Image Credits : Nintendo
They upgraded the speaker, this upgrade was for people who play in handheld mode or undocked in table top mode where you are most likely playing with other people. I am personally not one to use it in the table top mode that often however I do play in handled mode most of the time so this is a welcome upgrade as the speakers on the previous versions of the Switch fid the job but were not that great.
Kickstand
Image Credits : Nintendo
The kickstand now spans across the full length of the back of OLED Switch and is much more sturdier than the previous stand which was small and very flimsy. This was a much needed upgrade on the Switch as for the few times that I have used the Switch in table top mode, I was always in fear of the Switch falling over if there was even a slight knock on the table.
Dock
Image Credits : Nintendo
The dock looks much nicer with the more rounded corners, the USB 3.0 port has also been changed to a LAN port. I like the new design but I never used an ethernet connection into the Dock or the USB port in the back for anything so this change doesn't affect me however I know that it will be a good upgrade for all those who were using the USB port with a converter to connect their ethernet wire.
Storage
Base storage is now 64GB up from the 32GB in previous models. Another much needed upgrade as I ran out of storage in the console really fast and had to insert an SD card to hold all of my game data.
No 4k
I personally did not want a more "powerful" Switch pro for selfish reasons as I just spent a bunch of money buying a PS5 and also did not want to have a segregation in terms of games from a normal Switch version to a Switch Pro version. Even if Nintendo puts in a policy to game makers that the games should run on both systems, games would be made for the Switch Pro and would not run as well on the normal version which would warrant having to buy the Switch Pro and I am just not ready for that right now. However what I did want and would have bought the updated Switch for buy is 4k support as when playing the some games on a massive 4k TV, some of the games can look a bit trash in places. The fact that there was no 4k support is a little baffling to me as it can be easily done. Nintendo is obviously working on their next system upgrade, whether it be a Switch Pro or a Switch 2, we will have to wait and see what updates are added. My wild guess (not based on any evidence) is that they will release a Switch Pro alongside the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 and it will have 4k support.
Should you buy one?
All of the upgrades that are in the OLED version of the Nintendo Switch are quality of life upgrade from previous versions of the Switch however I will not be buying one as the improvement does not warrant buying another Switch if you already have one unless you are buying it for someone else in your household. If you do not have a Switch then this is the version I would recommend getting over the standard version as the upgrades are nice to have upgrades and worth the extra £30.
Are you thinking about buying the Nintendo Switch OLED? Do you think its worth the upgrade? Let me know in the comments below or on Instagram, Twitter or Tiktok. Also if you like this article or want to see more on Nintendo or gaming then follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Tiktok to see more and also to know when new articles come out.
